South Africans who fall victim to cybercrime can now access more support.
The Cyber Helpline in South Africa is a free, confidential service providing practical guidance and compassionate support to individuals affected by online fraud, investment and employment scams, hacked accounts, phishing and smishing, social media fake profiles, sextortion, online harassment, identity theft, malware and ransomware incidents.
The pilot builds on a successful helpline model that is already in operation in the UK and US. Since 2018, more than 2-million people have accessed its guidance, with more than 100 000 people receiving direct support.
Victims of online fraud and abuse frequently report mental health issues, including shame, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and lasting distress alongside any financial loss.
Support that addresses both the technical and the emotional impact of an incident leads to better recovery outcomes, a principle drawn directly from The Cyber Helpline’s existing casework and built into new tailored South African playbooks. Victims in South Africa can now access free, confidential support at thecyberhelpline.com.
Funded by and built on AWS infrastructure, the pilot is a partnership between South African social impact organisation MiDO Academy and The Cyber Helpline (UK), whose volunteer-led model has supported victims across the United Kingdom for almost 10 years and expanded to help victims in the US for the last three years.
The South African service has been adapted to address the country’s specific cyber threat landscape while drawing on that established practice.
The pilot will run for an initial 12 months, during which the partners will test the localised playbooks, responder training and referral pathways in the South African context before considering expansion.
How does The Cyber Helpline operate?
Unlike formal reporting mechanisms, the helpline focuses on helping victims understand what has happened, and to guide them step by step- from securing accounts and devices to preserving evidence, knowing where to report and taking practical steps to protect themselves from further harm.
The helpline is independent and can’t recover money or investigate crimes so where appropriate, victims will be referred to specialised organisations, law enforcement or mental health services, including banks or the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“Tackling cybercrime and online harm is a global challenge and the problems that victims face are remarkably similar around the world. Many people simply don’t know where to turn when something happens to them online,” says Rory Innes, founder and CEO of The Cyber Helpline.
“We’re delighted to work with MiDO Academy in bringing a model that has helped countless victims in the UK and US to South Africa, and we are grateful for the support from AWS which has helped to make this happen.
“MiDO’s responders have all been vetted, and trained in cybersecurity practices, and have completed our incident and victim response training, including how to support people in distress, respect their privacy and protect their personal information. The team there is the perfect fit due to their local expertise and access to cyber volunteers.
“We look forward to sharing knowledge across both organisations and supporting the people of South Africa.”
Confidentiality and use of personal information
The helpline handles personal information in line with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) . Case information is encrypted and stored securely on AWS: access is restricted to vetted responders and their supervisors, and information is only shared with other organisations only if the victim consents. Victims can also choose how much personal information they would like to share.
“At AWS, security is the top priority, and with that comes a responsibility to help build a safer digital environment for our customers and the communities they are part of,” says Sarah Currey, office of the CISO at AWS. “We chose to fund this pilot because supporting individuals affected by online crime is a natural extension of that work.
“Our AWS Trust & Safety team also provided free training to the responders in Cape Town, sharing expertise to strengthen local capability. Providing free, confidential, expert guidance to people in South Africa is an investment in customer trust that we are proud to make.”
Building skills while supporting victims
The pilot also creates meaningful work experience for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. Student responders trained through MiDO Academy work alongside experienced supervisors, handling real-world incidents while developing the technical and communication skills that prepare them for careers in the field.
“Cybersecurity isn’t only about technology, it’s also about people,” says Anna Collard, senior vice-president: content strategy and CISO advisor at KnowBe4, co-founder of MiDO Academy and initiator of this project. “Sophisticated scams are designed to manipulate human psychology. By combining technical guidance training with empathy and education, we can help individuals recover while building a more cyber-resilient society.”
How to get help
The service is free, confidential and available to anyone in South Africa aged 13 and above who have been affected by a cyber incident. It supports individuals and sole traders.
- Online chat: Visit thecyberhelpline.com and start a conversation with our chatbot 27/4. You will get immediate step-by-step guidance, and if your case needs more support, you will be passed to a trained responder
- One-to-one support: Confidential 1:1 guidance and expert support operate around the clock via their digital intake and case system, though responses from human volunteers are coordinated asynchronously through their platform rather than a traditional instant phone call hotline